The high variability in river flow and annual rainfall, which are features of the Australian environment, means that successful ongoing production of many crops and pastures is dependent on irrigation. With such variation in rainfall, it is uncommon for farmers to receive all of their irrigation water entitlement each year. In 2001-02 farmers were allocated, on average, 85% of their irrigation water entitlement.

Rice is only grown in areas that can guarantee an adequate supply of irrigation water. Cotton, vegetables, fruit (including nuts and grapes) and sugar cane are the other most intensively irrigated crops, with 91%, 84%, 79% and 43%respectively of their total growing areas being irrigated in 2001-02.

The total area of land irrigated, about 2.5 million ha in 2001-02 (table 14.3), represents less than 1% of the total land used for agriculture. However, produce from irrigated land accounted for around 28% of the total gross value of agricultural production in 2000-01.

Most irrigated land is located within the confines of the Murray-Darling Basin, which covers parts of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia.

14.3 AREA OF CROPS AND PASTURES IRRIGATED - 2001-02

NSW

Vic.

Qld

SA

WA

Tas.

NT

ACT

Aust.

’000 ha

’000 ha

’000 ha

’000 ha

’000 ha

’000 ha

’000 ha

’000 ha

’000 ha

Pastures (native or sown)

330

478

63

61

^11

29

4

-

976

Cereals

Rice

143

^2

-

(a)

-

(a)

-

-

145

Other cereals

290

^33

^52

(a)

^-

(a)

-

-

376

Total

434

^35

^53

^5

-

^2

-

-

528

Cotton

^290

-

127

-

-

-

-

-

418

Sugar cane cut for crushing

**

-

233

-

4

-

-

-

237

Vegetables

17

26

29

12

9

17

-

-

110

Fruit (incl. nuts)

28

24

32

19

6

^4

3

-

116

Grapevines

29

35

^2

61

^7

*1

-

-

137

All other crops

^26

8

^20

^10

3

14

-

-

81

Total

1,126

588

541

174

39

68

8

-

2,545

(a) Data not separately collected but included in total cereals.

Source: Agricultural Commodities, Australia, 2001-02 (7121.0).

Agriculture accounted for approximately 67% of water consumption in Australia in 2000-01. More information on the use of water by the agriculture sector is provided in Chapter 24 Environment.